


Scraped Elbows

by IldiDragonheart



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Children, Alternate Universe - Kindergarten & Pre-school, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cinnamon Roll Newt Scamander, Cute Kids, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Gen, How Do I Tag, I Tried, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Kindergarten, Playgrounds, School
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:40:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25149352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IldiDragonheart/pseuds/IldiDragonheart
Summary: Monkey bars, scraped elbows, chocolate, and the beginning of a wonderful friendship.[AU where Newt and Tina are in kindergarten feat. Dumbledore and McGonagall as teachers]
Relationships: Tina Goldstein & Newt Scamander, Tina Goldstein/Newt Scamander
Comments: 7
Kudos: 39





	Scraped Elbows

School was a scarily fun place.

At least, to five-year-old Newt.

Little copper-haired Newt Scamander sat under a tree in one corner of the playground, knees tucked to his chest as his bright blue eyes watched his classmates and kids from other the other classes run around and chase each other. Squealing, shouting, and laughing can be heard all around. Teachers watched from the sidelines, smiling as they chatted about, all the while keeping a keen eye on the kids; some joined the little ones playing, helping them get on the slides or push them higher on the swings.

Now, Newt wanted to join those kids. But, unfortunately for him, he was shy—very, _very_ shy.

Newt was the new kid in school. His family had just moved in three months ago and were yet to get to know the town and the people living in it. On his first day, when he was asked to introduce himself to his new classmates, all the little boy could do was stare at his shoes and keep his mouth shut. Despite all the prodding his teacher did (who was a kind man, Newt will admit that) for him to say something, Newt didn't budge, his incredible shyness overwhelming him. And because of that, Newt became known as "the quiet, weird kid" in his class.

And being the quiet, reserved kid he was, Newt became a constant target for the bullies. They'd tease and pester him in any way they can; they'd steal his snacks, they'd steal the toys he wanted to play with, and even ruin his drawings if they even cared to do so.

That drove Newt to become more of a recluse in his class. He started avoiding as many people as he could. During recess, he'd opt to stay inside the classroom and look through the picture books in store. During playtimes (especially ones held inside the classroom), he'd sit in one corner where he knows no one would notice him and play with the toys he grabbed before the others or sit and read.

And Newt liked it that way. No one bothered him, no one teased him. Just plain peacefulness all to himself.

But today, however, his teacher, Mr. Dumbledore, managed to convince him to join the rest of his classmates outside for recess. And, as much as Newt said that he'd much rather be in the company of his beloved picture books, he still found himself outside in the playground.

And that's how he ended up sitting under a tree, watching the rest of his classmates have fun.

Raking his eyes across the playground, Newt spotted the monkey bars nearby, set apart from the rest of the slides, swings, etc.. It was completely empty, and Newt knew exactly why.

From what he heard from his classmates and from what he saw through the classroom window when he wasn't outside in the playground with the others, the monkey bars was what many of the kids consider as a challenge.

"Only the big kids can swing across the monkey bars!" he heard one of the boys tell his friends one day.

"Yeah! And only the brave ones can do it!" one of them agreed.

And it seemed to be true to our little Scamander. Newt had always seen most kids avoid playing at the monkey bars a lot, and those who dared either ended up successfully getting across (with much effort, and usually they were the older ones) or fall and cry.

Heck, even those conceited bullies didn't even dare try.

(Well, one tried but he ended up whining like a baby. He didn't cry because Newt knew too well that that kid wouldn't want to be seen as weak. He had to assert his dominance over the rest of the kids somehow.)

With those details in mind, Newt came to a decision: He'll try his hand at the monkey bars.

It could be impossible, five-year-old Newt knew. But, maybe if he could just get across it, maybe the other kids wouldn't see him as a weak target for the bullies anymore. Maybe he'd even have friends.

Oh, how he longed for the latter.

And so, Newt slowly got to his feet and approached the deserted monkey bars. Once he stood in front of it, his heart beat so fast that he thought it could jump out at any moment. He looked up to the parallel rainbow-colored bars overhead and dread suddenly was dumped over him.

 _They're so high_ , he marveled. And indeed they were. They were so high, that even going on his tippy-toes wouldn't be enough for him to reach. And if he were to fall from that height...

Newt shook the thought from his head. He glanced around to see if there were people who can see him, but he knew they wouldn't pay attention to him (except the teachers, of course) since to them, he was practically invisible unless the bullies decided to "play" with him.

Newt walked over to one side of the monkey bars and climbed up the steps. Once positioned, Newt gripped the two handles tightly and gulped. Staring forward, the other side of the monkey bars looked _so far away_ from him. He didn't expect it to be that far!

But, knew there was no turning back now. He's already standing at the starting point. If he turned back now, he'd be considered as a scaredy-cat. But if he continued, he might just be able to have friends or even drive away the bullies at least.

Yes, he was going to do it. He wasn't really sure if he can, but he will!

So, Newt braced himself and reach out to grab onto the first bar, followed by his left hand. Once he was sure of his grip, he left his feet slide off the steps and dangle below him. His palms and arms ached at the sudden weight added as he hung there.

 _I can do this!_ He cheered himself. Newt swallowed down his fear and readied himself to grab the next bar.

And he did. Still, his arms and hands hurt from his weight, but the didn't stop him. He continued to push forward until he was only four more bars away from the other side. And by that time, his palms had begun to grow sweaty.

He was already on the sixth bar and was moving to reach for the next, meaning he was dangling with one hand while the other was stretched before him when suddenly, his hand lost its grip and slipped. Newt let out a shriek and landed on the ground on his back with a thud.

"Ow..." Newt winced. As he pushed himself upright, he felt a stinging pain on both his elbows. Taking a look, he saw that his elbows were red with specks of blood oozing out. He bit his trembling bottom lip in pain. Newt doesn't cry a lot, especially out in public, but tears were already starting to pour out of his eyes.

 _Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry!_ He repeatedly told himself. _If I cry, everyone will laugh, and Achilles and his friends will tease me again..._

He took a quick look around to see if anyone saw him. Since the monkey bars were located in the corner of the playground, not many kids pay attention to it and it was almost out of the teachers' sights.

(Who would place the monkey bars on a spot like that?)

Newt wanted to stand and run to Mr. Dumbledore for help, but he couldn't push himself to his feet because his elbows hurt. Plus, he probably has a bruise or two somewhere.

He was debating on whether or not to call for help when suddenly, a voice called out to him.

"Hey!" Newt looked up and saw a girl with brown pigtails dressed in a blue jumper running towards him. She looked rather cute in Newt's opinion.

The girl stopped before him, panting. "H-hey, are you okay?" she asked, forehead creased with worry. "I saw you fall from the monkey bars when I was on top of the slide!"

Newt could only gawk. The girl stared at him with big brown eyes that seemed to glimmer orange under the sun.

 _Pretty..._ Newt thought in awe.

Was this cute girl...talking to him?

"Hey!" The girl repeated, pulling Newt out of his thoughts.

"Uh...a-ah...I..." Newt could only stutter in reply, his cheeks turning pink with embarrassment.

The girl sighed and glared—more like pouted—at him. Then, she bent down and grabbed his hands (which furthered his blushing) and pulled him to his feet. She hasn't let go of his hands yet when she noticed his scraped elbows.

She let out a gasp. "Y-your elbows!" she cried out. "You're hurt!"

Newt opened his mouth to deny it, but the girl was already pulling him along by the hand towards Mr. Dumbledore.

"Mr. Dumbledore! Mr. Dumbledore!" called the girl to his teacher. The man turned from his conversation with another teacher (who Newt identified to be Ms. McGonagall, the teacher of the class next to his). He raised a hand to greet them with a wave but gasped as soon as he saw Newt's dirty state.

"Wha—Newt!" gasped Mr. Dumbledore, rushing over to them. Ms. McGonagall followed closely behind him. The teacher dropped to his knees before the two children.

"Oh my goodness!" Ms. McGonagall exclaimed stopping behind Mr. Dumbledore. "My boy, what happened?"

"He fell from the monkey bars! I saw him, Miss!" The girl reported, pulling Newt forward to stand beside her. "He's hurt! His elbows!"

Mr. Dumbledore wasted no time in inspecting Newt's wounded elbows. He tutted and shook his head. He turned to the woman behind him, saying, "Minerva, please take Newt to the clinic." Then, he looked at the girl and smiled at her. "Thank you, Tina, for telling us about this. You can go play now."

Ms. McGonagall nodded and Newt quickly found himself in the woman's arms. Below him, the girl—Tina, if he heard Mr. Dumbledore call her correctly—tugged at Ms. McGonagall's blouse.

"What it is, Tina?" The teacher asked.

"Can I come with you?"

Mr. Dumbledore chuckled and placed a hand on her shoulder. "But don't you wanna play with your friends?" he wondered. "And isn't the nurse's office scary for you?"

Tina shook her head, her pigtails swaying and a proud smile on her face. It made her look even cuter than before in Newt's eyes. "Nuh-uh! I can handle it! I'm a big girl."

Mr. Dumbledore grinned. "Indeed you are," he said, patting her head affectionately. He stood up and nodded to Ms. McGonagall. "Well then, if it's alright with you, Minerva?"

"Mhmm," hummed Ms. McGonagall, smiling sweetly at the little girl. She held out a hand for Tina to take. "Of course, it is. Tina just wants to make sure her friend is alright, yes?"

Tina nodded eagerly, accepting Ms. McGonagall's hand. She smiled at the boy in her teacher's arms. Newt, feeling so flustered by the girl's concern for him, looked away blushing even more.

"Alright," said Ms. McGonagall, this time directed to Newt. "Let's go see, Mrs. Pomfrey now, shall we?"

Newt nodded weakly as the teacher brought him and Tina to the nurse's office.

A few minutes later found Newt sitting on the examination bed inside Mrs. Pomfrey's clinic. He gripped the edges so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The clinics and hospitals scared Newt a lot (specifically those that are intended for people. He liked vet clinics better) because every time he finds himself inside one, all he could think of were the shots given to him every year. And those needles were terrifying.

The nurse was currently preparing the materials needed to treat Newt's elbows. When they arrived a short while ago, she let Newt sit on the bed while she gets the things she needed. Tina, who accompanied him, sat on a chair by Mrs. Pomfrey's desk, swinging her feet in waiting.

The young brunette seemed to notice Newt's anxiety as they waited. So, she hopped off the chair and approached the nurse. She tugged at her pants to get her attention.

"What is it, my dear?" the elderly woman asked, smiling at her.

"Can I have some candy?" Tina inquired, pointing to the small jar of sweets sitting on the desk.

Mrs. Pomfrey nodded and returned her focus to the cupboard overhead.

Tina went over to the desk and stood on her tippy-toes to reach the jar. Once she got hold of it, she pulled it towards her and opened it. She placed one hand in and took two chocolates before closing the jar again. She pushed the jar back to its original position. Then, she walked over to Newt who was still gripping the edge of the bed nervously.

"Here," Tina said, holding out one chocolate to him.

Newt stared at the candy before him. He looked at the girl confusedly. The girl sighed.

"Here," she repeated, placing the chocolate in his palm. "My momma gives me chocolates whenever I feel scared to go see the doctor." She smiles softly. "It helps!" She then unwrapped her chocolate and ate it, humming in delight as she chewed.

Newt nodded slowly and began to unwrap his chocolate as well. He observed the round-shaped sweet between his fingers before eating it. And as soon as he chewed the sweet, his eyes widened and he felt a smile tug at his lips. The sweet flavor helped calm him down and he doesn't feel that nervous anymore.

Tina clapped in delight. "See? I told you!"

Newt nodded with a smile as a reply as he continued to chew the chocolate.

Mrs. Pomfrey came over to them and announced that she'll begin treating Newt's wounded elbows. She asked Tina to go sit by her desk again as she worked. Before she did so, the little girl smiled and gave Newt a thumbs-up. It managed to help Newt calm down even more as he felt painful stinging on his right elbow.

Minutes later, Newt's elbows were bandaged with puppy-designed BandAids.

"Alright, you're okay now, Newt," Mrs. Pomfrey said as she began to return the materials she used to their respective places. "Just be careful next time when playing on the monkey bars, okay?"

"Y-yes..." Newt mumbled.

Then, Tina approached him, looking at him curiously. "Newt..." she muttered, "that's your name, right?" Newt nodded.

"Hmm," she hummed, tapping her chin with a finger. "That's a weird name..."

The statement made Newt blush. People found his name to be weird all the time. In fact, he often got teased because of that.

Then, a huge smile appeared on the girl's face. "I like it!" she giggled.

 _Huh?_ "Y-you do?" Newt stuttered. She liked his name? That...that's a first. No one's every expressed to liking his name besides his parents and older brother. This was really weird for the shy five-year-old.

"Uh-huh!" Tina nodded eagerly. She jutted out a hand to him. "I'm Tina. Wanna be friends?"

Newt's eyes widened at her question. She wanted to be his friend? "F-friend?"

"Yeah! I always see you alone and that makes me sad, so...I wanna be your friend, Newt!" she beamed, still holding out her hand to him.

Newt blinked. This was strange....everything was strange! First, a girl suddenly shows some concern for him—something no one in his class ever did—and now, the same girl wants to be his friend. And he doesn't even know the girl well, but...

...what has got to lose?

Smiling, Newt accepted Tina's outstretched hand. "Sure!"

The two five-year-olds giggled in delight and began talking about anything that came into their minds.

And while all this was happening, Mrs. Pomfrey chuckled and smiled to herself as she returned the bottle of antiseptic into the cupboard, for she knew that that scene unfolding inside her office signified the start of a very wonderful friendship.


End file.
